Hometeam cross-country: Rockets rebound from first defeat

The Rockets were on a high when they faced Southern Worcester County League rival Uxbridge High on Sept. 12, but were humbled, 27-30, on the Spartans’ 2.75-mile course to fall to 1-1. After that, however, resurgent Auburn won four straight to improve to 5-1 overall (4-1 in the SWCL) heading into yesterday’s tri-meet against Oxford and host Grafton.

“They haven’t had a letdown since,” coach Jim Gonyea said. “Not to take anything away from Uxbridge, but I think the boys could have done better. When they got a little behind, there was no way they could catch up with them.

“They were surprised by some of the Uxbridge boys. I don’t think we were ready for what they had. On paper, we didn’t think we were going to lose, but you don’t win on paper, you win out on the streets. (Uxbridge) earned what they got. I think that was kind of a wakeup call for us.”

The Rockets’ No. 1 harrier, 17-year-old senior captain Matt Lavallee, admitted he and his teammates were probably too overconfident and underestimated the competition.

“I entered the season telling the guys, ‘We’re not going to lose a dual meet,’ ” Lavallee said. “They just had a better day. It’s always tough to lose to a team in your league, but those guys are our biggest rivals.”

Auburn is a junior-laden squad loaded with talent and experience, returning its top 10 runners from a year ago.

“This year, we feel like we’ve reached our prime,” said Lavallee, whose personal best on the Rockets’ 2.96-mile course is 17:07. “We feel like we can capitalize on that. We know we’re going to come back and beat (Uxbridge) at the SWCL Championships.”

Auburn, according to Gonyea, has never won the SWCL Championships, but has held its own against Division 1 and SWCL Central foes, Tantasqua Regional and No. 7 Shepherd Hill Regional.

“It’s difficult when you have to beat those big schools,” said Gonyea, whose team faces the ranked Rams in Dudley on Wednesday. “The odds are against us as far as winning the SWCL (championships). We’ve done well some years and not so well in others.”

Gonyea is excited to see how the Rockets will fare at the bigger meets.

Last year, Auburn was seventh at the Central Mass. Division 2 Championships, but Gonyea thinks they’re capable of doing better.

“I see good things,” said Gonyea, who firmly believes cross-country is 95 percent psychological. “It’s a team that’s been building over the past couple of years. They’ve progressed, getting better all the time. I think we’re going to be a team to watch in the future.”

“As a team, we ran fine last year,” said Lavallee, who is the only senior.

Top runners include sophomores Matt Healy and Tom Gannon, plus twins Aidan Foley-Foster and Kevin Foley-Foster, John Bylund and John Leger, all juniors

Two summers ago, the 6-foot Lavallee said he logged over 400 miles running. Last summer, he cut down on the course training and gained 12 pounds because of extensive weight training to help him become an all-around better athlete.

Last November, Lavallee finished 38th in the D2 race at Gardner, but he’s hoping all the hard work will help him end his career on a high note.

A former tennis player, Lavallee also runs indoor and outdoor track. His premiere event is the 2 mile, but he also competes in the 1,000 (indoor) and 800 (outdoor).

“Obviously, I love racing,” he said. “I’m really competitive out there. I’m trying to peak at the right time. Last year, I think I peaked too early.”

The seventh-ranked Notre Dame Academy girls are 4-0 and looking forward to their dual meet at No. 2 Wachusett Regional on Oct. 22.

NDA, fresh off a solid seventh-place performance at the sixth Ocean State Invitational last Saturday in Warwick, R.I., was 11-1 last season, its only loss to Tantasqua. With far fewer dual meets on the schedule, Salerno said the Quabbin Invitational (Oct. 13) and the MSTCA Coaches Invitational at the Wrentham Development Center (Nov. 3) take on greater importance.

“We had a great time (at the Ocean State),” Salerno said. “There were kids from all over the country running.”

Salerno said the Rebels’ aim this year is to qualify for the All-States for the first time. Last fall, a deep Notre Dame squad just missed out after finishing fourth at the CMass D2 championships.

Though they lost Katie Knox (University of Rochester) to graduation, the Rebels haven’t lost a step, led by the junior tandem of Jane Clark, a 2012 T&G indoor and outdoor Super Team selection, and Emily Knox, Katie’s sister.

Congratulations to fifth-ranked and defending CMass D2 champion Hopedale High for finishing runner-up to Haddam Killingworth in the boys’ varsity Division 1 race at the Ocean State Invitational. Senior captain Paul Maurais was the Blue Raiders’ top harrier (11th overall) in 16:47 while teammate Matt Doran was 14th in 16:48.